50 Is Awful — You Should Look Forward to It

I’ve got a secret weapon to carry me through my middle age: humor

Jeremy Helligar
LEVEL

--

Photo: Westend61/Getty Images

Life starts at 50.

That sounds good, especially once you hit your late forties and you start to see the next decade looming clearly in the distance.

Sometimes, though, I wish life did begin at 50. I wouldn’t remember how it felt to bounce out of bed, full of fire and optimism, ready to embark on a relatively pain-free day. If I didn’t know how that used to feel, the chronic muscle aches and gassiness of encroaching decrepitude wouldn’t be so alarming.

Although I disagree with the idea that turning 50 is the great liberator, getting older does have its benefits: You have experience on your side. You can be great-looking for your age without endless hours torturing yourself in the gym. And if you’re lucky, you’ve never been as comfortable in your own skin — even if it’s starting to sag.

Best of all, you’re probably in better financial shape than you were at 20, 30, or maybe even 40.

But as I progress into my fifties, I have a secret weapon: humor.

You can be great-looking for your age without endless hours torturing yourself in the gym. And if you’re…

--

--

Jeremy Helligar
LEVEL
Writer for

Brother Son Husband Friend Loner Minimalist World Traveler. Author of “Is It True What They Say About Black Men?” and “Storms in Africa” https://rb.gy/3mthoj